NAB Calls for Engineering Achievement Award Nominations

WASHINGTON: The National Association of Broadcasters is now accepting nominations for the 52nd annual Engineering Achievement Awards. The award recognizes contributions that have “significantly advanced the state of the art of broadcast engineering.” Qualifications are sought in the categories of invention, development of new techniques, dissemination of technical knowledge and literature or an outstanding contribution that, “in the opinion of the NAB Executive Committee, warrants consideration.”

One each is given annually in television and radio. Mark Richer, president of the Advanced Television Systems Committee won the TV award in 2010. Other past winners include Sterling Davis of Cox Broadcasting; Victor Tawil of the Association of Maximum Service Television; Oded Bendov of the TV Transmission Antenna Group; Larry Thorpe of Sony (now with Canon) and digital television expert Charlie Rhodes.

The rules of the road state that candidates “must be or have been an owner, officer or employee of any company, subsidiary or division whose primary business is broadcasting, or is directly in support of broadcasting, including employees of the federal government directly engaged in broadcast engineering work. The size of the organization with which each candidate is affiliated is not a determining factor. The merits of the contributions to broadcast engineering are the sole factors to be taken into account.”

The deadline for the nomination is Jan. 21, 2011. The nomination form is available at the NAB website. Recipients will be recognized at the 2011 NAB Technology Luncheon in Las Vegas. -- Deborah D. McAdams